gluten free sugar cookies FAIL

unfortunately the consistency for the gluten free sugar cookie recipe that i posted for rudy day testing did not work out. they tasted good, so at least we got that right. but to call them cookies would not be an accurate statement.

trying again soon - and i will post the recipe!

baking lists for rudolph day

as i said before, i will be making sugar cookies using pamela's recipe. however, i am adding a few more items to the shopping/baking list this weekend from the "harvest baking" magazine i recently picked up.

fall harvest muffins
BLT salad
cranberry apple chicken sandwiches

these items should be delicious!

my husband and i are doing a 4k walk this weekend for our favorite no-kill animal shelter, and maybe we will be able to head out to the apple orchards!

today is the first full day of autumn - last night was the autumn equinox!

100 days until christmas!

100 days until christmas! you know everything at the north pole really starts moving now...

planning, baking, and counting down

for rudy day in september, i am making sugar cookies (gluten free!) using pamela's vanilla cake mix. here's hoping that they come out well!

Pamela's Simple Sugar Cookies or Snickerdoodles

1 bag Pamela's Classic Vanilla Cake Mix
8 Tablespoons (1 cube) unsalted Butter
4 Tablespoons water

Use heavy duty stand mixer.

Preheat oven to 350°. Use stand mixer to soften butter. Add mix and water, then combine for one full minute or until dough comes together. Roll out 1/8th-inch thick and cut out simple shapes, or make balls (for Snickerdoodles) and flatten (balls can be rolled in ground cinnamon before baking for Snickerdoodles.) Place cookies 1-inch apart on parchment paper. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until edges are light brown. Decorate!

For fresh cookies anytime, refrigerate the dough in a log (or freeze), then slice and bake.

almost there!

well september 1 is just right around the corner, and then we are just three weeks away from the autumn season (officially).

i have some craft supplies ready for one set of craft gifts, and i really need to get baking again. right now, my baked goods baskets will only contain gluten free cranberry orange scones and gluten free chocolate cupcakes. i would like to add an iced sugar cookie if it is possible, and definitely some sort of chocolate truffle. of course we shall see what it comes down to at the end of the season.

pumpkins! (yes, in a christmas blog)

i cannot help but get super excited when i start seeing pumpkins around. the "ber" months are on the horizon.

i took a weekend getaway with my husband this past weekend only to see a few signs advertising the impending harvest. while in the grocery store, i cannot help but stare at the pumpkin and apple items. i cannot wait to dig in.

september 1st cannot get here quick enough, but once we get there... i'd like everything to slow down.

this part of the countdown is the time to savor.

it's never too early for christmas crafts

this year, with the economy in a serious recession, and a genuine desire to return to the simple things in life, i have really focused my efforts on experiences and homemade things for christmas.

in my baking challenges, i am happy to report that i have a few successful gluten free items that i can share with friends and family this year:
gluten free cranberry orange scones
gluten free chocolate cupcakes
& gluten free pies (apple, pumpkin, strawberry, cherry)

i am hoping to finalize my recipe for gluten free sugar cookies this month.

last year was an embarrassment and a disaster. this year will be better, and i will be able to fill up my gift boxes with delicious things.

as for gifts, i am reviewing my martha stewart crafts encyclopedia, the internet, and magazines to decide which crafts i would like to do as gifts this year.

i'd like to make totes for people, and since i learned to make pillows at my sewing class... perhaps a pillow as well. maybe a set of notecards, personalized for each person.

it's never to early to start planning & working on holiday crafts.

countdown milestone: 100 days until the christmas season!

hip hip hooray! 100 days until the christmas season officially begins!

it's about this time of year when i start to look for christmas magazines to hit the stands.

back with cookies!

welcome august! and with it, a few christmas milestones including

• 100 days until the Christmas Season (Aug 5)
• 3/4 of the way to the Christmas Season (Aug 14)
• 2/3 of the way to Christmas (Aug 25)

Christmas cooking and craft magazines should start hitting the stands later this month, and craft planning in my house has definitely begun.



first let's begin our august celebrations with history of the Christmas cookie

Cakes of all shapes and sizes (including smaller items such as cookies) have been part of festive holiday rituals long before Christmas. Ancient cooks prepared sweet baked goods to mark significant occasions. Many of these recipes and ingredients (cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, almonds, dried fruits etc.) were introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages. They were highly prized and quickly incorporated into European baked goods. Christmas cookies, as we know them today, trace their roots to these Medieval European recipes. Dutch and German settlers introduced cookie cutters, decorative molds, and festive holiday decorations to America. German lebkuchen was probably the first cake/cookie traditionally associated with Christmas. Sugar cookie type recipes descended from English traditions. Did you know Animal crackers began as edible ornaments?

"By the 1500s, Christmas cookies had caught on all over Europe. German families baked up pans of Lebkuchen and buttery Spritz cookies. Papparkakor (spicy ginger and black-pepper delights) were favorites in Sweden; the Norwegians made krumkake (thin lemon and cardamom-scented wafers). The earliest Christmas cookies in America came ashore with the Dutch in the early 1600s."
---"America's Best Holiday Cookies," McCall's [magazine], December 1994 (p. 85)

The flood of cheap imported wares form Germany between 1871 and 1906 when the import laws were changed, inundated our Christmas markets with cooking utensils like...cookie cutters...Unlike homemade counterparts, or local tinsmith's wares, these tools depicted highly stylized images, often frawn from secular themes or...with subjects designed specifically to hang on the Christmas tree. Likewise, recipes appeared in popular cookbooks to better match the demands of such utensils...In a sense, with the advent of inexpensive tin cutters, new emphasis was placed on shape, where in the past, many homemade cookies simply had been square or round. Bells, Christmas trees, camels, crimped wares (cutters with zigzag edges), lilies, Sant Clauses, turkeys, all of these elaborate shapes tended to deemphasize texture and flavor."
---The Christmas Cook: Three Centuries of American Yuletide Sweets, William Woys Weaver [Harper Perennial:New York] 1990 (p. 106)

Merry Christmas Cookies
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup hone
1 tsp. lemon flavoring
2 3/4 cups Gold Medal Flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
Mix shortening, sugar, egg, honey, and flavoring thoroughly. Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Stir together flour, soda, salt; blen in. Chill dough. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. (quick mod.). Roll dough out 1/4" thick. Cut into desired shapes (right). Place 1" apart on lightly greased baking sheet. bake 8 to 10 min., or until no imprint remains when touched lightly. When cool, ice and decorate if desired. makes about 5 doz. 2 1/2" cookies.

---Betty Crodker's Cooky Book, General Mills, facsimile 1963 edition [Hungry Minds:New York] 2002 (p. 30)

[source: http://www.foodtimeline.org/christmasfood.html]

christmas in july, other ways

i just need to say
that i wish today
for a christmas in july
whatever that is
for you

celebrate.

since i've been gone

i haven't stopped thinking about christmas but i have had a difficult week of sorts. moving on!

it's monday and i was able to get over to hallmark for their christmas in july ornament premiere on saturday. i bought the ornaments on my wish list. there are more to be released in the coming months, which is very exciting.

they also had some peanuts halloween ornaments and i just fell in love with them. i am setting aside some money to buy them.

i cannot wait for summer to be over and i am glad i have tropical-colored paper snowflakes to keep me satisfied for christmas in july!

top ten tuesday

here are my top ten christmas songs... what are yours?

10. rudolph the red nosed reindeer

9. jingle bells

8. mele kalikimaka

7. white christmas

6. the christmas song (have yourself a merry little christmas)

5. let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!

4. holly jolly christmas

3. silent night

2. the most wonderful time of the year

1. mary did you know?

christmas planning

it's just about this time of year that i start finalizing my christmas plans.

where are we spending the holidays?
what is our gift budget?
what kinds of gifts do i need to make?
what kinds of gifts do i want to buy?
how long is my christmas card list this year?
are there things i need to plan ahead (hotel, flights, etc)?

so tonight i will turn up the air conditioning in my home and start making christmas plans.

and *finally* get around to hanging up those tropical colored paper snowflakes that gave me a carpal tunnel syndrome flare-up!

merry 4th of july!

for us americans, it is our country's birthday.

bless us all!

chocolate cupcakes

last night i did some baking - baking is an event i usually reserve for the holidays seasons in the autumn and winter.

i made some chocolate cupcakes with pamela's gluten free chocolate cake baking mix. it is truly the best if you are looking for a great cake mix. i topped it with a festive white vanilla frosting and added patriotic sprinkles - red, white, and blue stars!

it's fun to celebrate with food. i may just be making chocolate cupcakes for my holiday baking as well - what a success!

the sandman

not much to write today but in keeping with the christmas in july theme... i present to you, the sandman!

the first day of christmas in july

so, what exactly is christmas in july?

now that we have passed the halfway mark to the christmas holiday and the christmas season altogether, we can start preparing - whether that be financially, spiritually, or otherwise - for whatever the holiday season means for us.

it's also a celebration for those of us that abhor the hot weather, if where we live is in the summer right now. however, for those in the southern hemisphere of the earth, christmas in july is when christmas might actually feel like christmas.

christmas in july is whatever you want it to be! i welcome your ideas as we celebrate christmas in july here on the blog.

from wikipedia:

In Western culture, Christmas occurs on December 25. Christmas is generally about gift-giving and holiday cheer. Christmas in July celebrations may be held in July to provide a second joyful celebration in the year.

In the southern hemisphere, Christmas in July is the name given to social events with a winter Christmas theme, as July is generally the coldest month of the year.

In the northern hemisphere during the summer months the weather becomes increasingly warm and many people crave the atmosphere of cooler temperatures, gift giving and holiday spirit. To satisfy this, some people throw parties during the month of July that mimic the holiday of Christmas. The features of Christmas in July include Santa Claus, ice cream and other cold foods and gifts.

The earliest known occasion to make the phrase Christmas in July literal was in July 1933 at Camp Keystone, a girl's summer camp in North Carolina, which celebrated with a Christmas tree, gifts, and a visit by Santa Claus. In 1935, the National Recreation Association's journal Recreation described what a Christmas in July was like at a girl's camp, writing that "all mystery and wonder surround this annual event."

In 1942, the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., celebrated Christmas in July with carols and the sermon "Christmas Presents in July". They repeated it in 1943, with a Christmas tree covered with donations. The pastor explained that the special service was patterned after a program held each summer at his former church in Philadelphia, when the congregation would present Christmas gifts early to give ample time for their distribution to missions worldwide. It became an annual event, and in 1946 the service began to be broadcast over local radio.

The U.S. Post Office and U.S. Army and Navy officials, in conjunction with the American advertising and greeting card industries, threw a Christmas in July luncheon in New York in 1944 to promote an Early Christmas Mailing Campaign for service men and women overseas during World War II. The luncheon was repeated in 1945.

Midwinter 'Christmas' or Yulefest is an unofficial Midwinter/Yuletide related celebration followed by some families, mainly those with a English or European background in Australia and New Zealand during the wintertime (which in the Southern Hemisphere falls into the June-July-August period). There is no official holiday, and the date of observance varies from place to place and even family to family, though it is often around the time of the shortest day or winter solstice, which in the Southern Hemisphere is June 20 or 21.While having little connection with the actual Christmas holiday, it is occasionally an occasion for work functions or similar events celebrating Yuletide traditions in wintry conditions.

McMurdo Station in Antarctica celebrates Christmas in July, as well as in December. Its origins there appear to be how deliveries were made. July is in the middle of winter in Antarctica; high winds and ice once made it too dangerous for planes to land with supplies. Instead, planes parachuted deliveries (such as food and mail) to the ice. The sudden arrival of presents from the sky in July reminded some people of a "visit from Santa."

[source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_July]

paper snowflakes

i have been so excited in preparing for "christmas in july" that i have literally injured myself in the process.

i spent the weekend working on cutting out some tropical colored paper snowflakes, and it seems to have aggravated my carpal tunnel syndrome from using the scissors.

all is well that ends well, so i am going to rest up a bit. do not expect very long, wordy posts during july as i cut back a bit on activity for my right hand for a few weeks.

i will be celebrating so i will try to post every day except for sunday during the month of july, starting tomorrow with the kick-off!

what it means to celebrate christmas all year

in 6 months, we will all be preparing our christmas eve feasts, wrapping gifts, and sharing time with the people we love.

what does it mean to celebrate christmas all year round?

at christmas time, we are all a little more generous. we throw in an extra tip or lend an extra hand to a local charity.

at christmas time, we are all a little more indulgent. we savor a bite of chocolate or stop and celebrate with a strong, delicious cup of coffee or enjoy the smell of fresh pine.

at christmas time, we believe in magic. or if we do not believe, we celebrate magic. we are all awaiting something exciting and wonderful things to come - whether that be through a religious celebration, the meeting of loved ones, or a brand new calender year.

so, what it means to me to celebrate christmas all year is just that.

believing in magic and miracles. believing that positive things are all around and more to come.

being extra generous if i can afford to be by throwing in an extra tip, sending an unexpected gift, or offering to pay for lunch with a friend.

having a little indulgence because life is to be savored.

being a little light in this world.

christmas trains

choo-choo! all aboard for christmas fun - i just added the disney "a christmas carol" train tour stop in chicago to our calendar. it looks very exciting - my husband loves trains and i love christmas so this is a perfect event for us both.

for more information, visit: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/

Disney is pulling out all the whistle stops and taking its show on the
road with a spectacular immersive and interactive 40-city train tour including a 3D sneak peek of film
footage from the upcoming movie “Disney’s A Christmas Carol.” Set amidst a snowy backdrop—complete with all of the
sights and sounds of Christmas including carolers, decorations, giveaways and many more surprises in
each of the 40 cities—the Train Tour is being launched with HP on board as the title and technology
sponsor and driven by Amtrak. This family event is for guests of all ages and is free to the public.
Starring Jim Carrey and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, “Disney’s A
Christmas Carol” opens in theatres November 6 in Disney Digital 3D™ and in IMAX 3D®.

Featuring four custom-designed vintage rail cars full of behind-the-scenes attractions, entertaining
demonstrations, and fun activities, the tour will have its inaugural stop at Los Angeles’ Union Station over
Memorial Day Weekend, from May 22nd through May 25th. During the next 24 weeks, the train will make
40 stops in 36 states, as it travels its way across more than 16,000 miles of track. The tour will finish at
New York’s Grand Central Terminal over the weekend of October 30th through November 1st.

aloha friday

it's aloha friday, and i was reading my hawaii magazine this morning on the train.

i think i found what would be a great christmas gift - the gift the would make any nature and music lover so very happy, and one that gives back as well.

from the national marine sanctuary foundation:

Four-time Grammy Award winner Daniel Ho, singer-songwriter Jack Johnson, and ki-ho‘alu master Kawika Kahiapo are just a few of Hawaii’s finest musicians to collaborate on a new CD dedicated to ocean conservation. Kai Palaoa honors Hawaii’s deep and ancient connection to the ocean and encourages others to help protect and conserve its special treasures. Kai Palaoa was made possible through the support of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through the Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Trust Fund.

The 11-track album features a number of Hawaii’s top artists; some of whom created original composition specifically for the CD. Joining Ho, Kahiapo and Johnson on the musical compilation are The Makaha Sons, Tia Carrere, Kawaikapuokalani Hewett, Pali, Herb Ohta, Jr., George Kahumoku, Jr., Steve Sano and Kaukahi. All of the musicians donated their work and time to raise awareness of the importance of Hawaii’s ocean resources and the need to protect them.

“Kai Palaoa, in the poetic form of the Hawaiian language, means the place where two currents meet,” said Naomi McIntosh, superintendent of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary, which also provided support for the CD. “It is this definition that inspired this musical compilation, with the goal of supporting education for the future of our ‘One Ocean’ that connects us all.”

[source: http://store.nmsfocean.org/Kai_Paloa_p/kaipalaoa09.htm]

on the web, information about the hawaiian islands humpback whales marine sanctuary can be found here: http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/

top ten tuesday

today i decided to list my top ten favorite christmas traditions, in no particular order.

10. visiting the window's at macy*s downtown

9.   having a hot cocoa at the chicago christkindlmarket in daley plaza

8.   going to go see "the nutcracker" performed by the joffrey ballet the saturday before christmas

7.    bell ringing for the salvation army

6.    midnight mass

5.    christmas morning breakfast casserole

4.   buying a new christmas ornament every year for my husband and me

3.   decorating for christmas on the sunday after thanksgiving

2.   mcdonald's for christmas eve dinner

1.    baking cookies & dropping the off personally at our friends' homes

monthly planning

since rudolph day for june 2009 is only 10 days away, i wanted to finalize my plans. it is also a thursday so i will be working and will have less time to work on things.

right now i am planning on watching "elf" the movie and working on my christmas notebook and figuring out which crafts i'd like to complete for gifts this year. i have some bracelets to work on and luckily i have all the supplies for those.

hopefully i will get a chance to test out another recipe next month!

trivia thursday: christmas songs edition

i have always wondered about the 12 days of christmas. here is what i found:

One of the holiday's best-loved songs, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," marks the longest holiday in the Christian calendar -- the time between Christmas Day and Epiphany, celebrated on January 6.

The song's origin is unknown, but some believe the song was written to help Catholic children remember various articles of faith. These are:

True love
God

A partridge in a pear tree
Jesus

Two turtle doves
Old and New Testaments

Three French hens
Faith, Hope, and Charity

Four calling birds
Four Gospels

Five golden rings
The first five books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch, which records the history and laws of ancient Israel

Six geese a-laying
Six days of Creation

Seven swans a-swimming
Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, or the Seven Sacraments

Eight maids a-milking
Eight beatitudes

Nine ladies dancing
Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit

Ten lords a-leaping
Ten Commandments

Eleven pipers piping
Eleven faithful disciples

Twelve drummers drumming
Twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles' Creed

[source: http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/christmas-trivia2.htm]

tasty cookies for christmas

mmm even though i am gluten free, i have some favorite cookies. here are the top ten:

10. macaroons

9.  almond butter cookies

8.  sugar cookies

7.  chocolate chip cookies

6.  maraschino cherries cookies

5.  oatmeal raisin cookies

4.  peanut butter cookies

3.  potato chip cookies

2.  white chocolate cranberry macadamia cookies

1.  lemon cookies

200 days!!!

just 200 more days until christmas! what a wonderful day...

trivia thursday: the santa edition

just about 200 days left until christmas... a little santa trivia for you on this friday eve.

• Santa Claus began life as a sort of Christian version of Poseidon, Greed god of the sea and all waters. Poseidon became known as the giver of all good things and festivals were held to celebrate his existence in December in the third century B.C., the event officially becoming known as the feast day of St. Nicholas in the fourth century B.C. Later Christian in Rome gave him the name of Nicholas and claimed he was a bishop who gave anonymous gifts by night.
• St. Nicholas is also the patron saint of pawnbrokers.
• Our current vision of Santa Claus came from an illustration by Thomas Nast in 1863 made for Dr. Clement Moore’s tale A Visit from St. Nicholas

christmas in chicago: the lions

it is a tradition in chicago to drape the lion sculptures outside of the Art Institute of Chicago with beautiful christmas wreaths, green and lovely.

The Art Institute's famous western entrance on Michigan Avenue is guarded by two bronze lion statues created by Edward L. Kemeys. The sculptor gave them unofficial names: the south lion is "stands in an attitude of defiance," and the north lion is "on the prowl." When a Chicago sports team makes the playoffs, the lions are frequently dressed in that team's uniform. Evergreen wreaths are placed around their necks during the Christmas season.

there is a ceremony where the wreaths are added to the sculptures.

aloha friday

today i give you the history of mele kalikimaka, for a very happy and joyous friday.

The Hawaiian people did not celebrate Christmas prior to the arrival of Captain Cook in 1778. It was, however, the protestant missionaries from New England who first arrived in 1820 who first introduced Christmas to the Hawaiian people.

The missionaries reduced the Hawaiian language to written form, enabling the Hawaiian people to read and write in their own language. Many words for which there were no clear Hawaiian language equivalents were translated phonetically.

Mele Kalikimaka - Merry Christmas. The words "Mele Kalikimaka" are a phonetic translation. When the missionaries and other Westerners first brought the custom of Christmas to the islands the Hawaiians had difficulty pronouncing Merry Christmas and turned it into words that rolled more easily off their tongues.

trivia thursday

in the Charlie Brown Christmas special, just before her remarks about Christmas being a big commercial racket, Lucy refers to Charlie Brown simply as Charlie. This is the only time she does this in any of the TV specials: every other time it's Charlie Brown.

christmas elf spotlight

we all know that santa claus is one amazing person, but he gets a lot of help from the elves up at the north pole as well. the elves do much of the toy-making, as well as processing of the letters and emails from folks from all over the globe.

in my research, i have found that there are the following elves helping santa claus out:

1. Alabaster Snowball - Administrator of the Naughty & Nice list.
2. Bushy Evergreen - Inventor of the magic toy-making machine.
3. Pepper Minstix - Guardian of the secret of where Father Christmas's village is located.
4. Shinny Upatree - The oldest friend of Santa and the cofounder of the secret village in Lapland.
5. Sugarplum Mary - Head of the Sweat Treats, she is also known as Mary Christmas. She is an assistant to Mrs Claus and helps her in the kitchen.
6. Wunorse Openslae - Designer of Father Christmas's sleigh and responsible for its maintenance. He also looks after the reindeers and it is believed that his reindeers reach speeds faster than Christmas tree lights.

cranberry orange scones from pamela

i did get a chance to try the gluten free scone recipe yesterday on rudolph day, so here is the recipe:

Cranberry Orange Scones

2-1/3 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup cranberries

4 tablespoons butter

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon orange zest

Yield: 10 to 12 scones

Mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter using two knives. Add the milk and beaten eggs. Mix together with a fork. Dough will be thick. Drop large, tall dollops of dough (scones will spread when baking) onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 15-17 minutes

[source: http://www.pamelasproducts.com/recipes/printrecipes/printSconesCranberryOrange.html © 2006 Pamela's Products, Inc.]

may 2009 rudolph day

i just got back from michaels craft store since i had a special 20% off coupon for memorial day + a 40% off coupon for one item. i bought a glitter stamping set from the martha stewart crafts line. it came with some really cute deer stamps that i can use for holiday stamping!

i am going to watch "love actually" tonight. i was going to make gluten free cranberry scones (test run!) but i am not sure i will have time or the ingredients since our refrigerator has been acting up lately. as for christmas gifts, i have definitely started an ideas list. i am holding off on buying - i have to get through my husband's birthday first.

trivia thursday

here are some fun reindeer facts for trivia thursday...

• Reindeer are one of several subspecies of caribou found around the world.
• Reindeer are herbivores, which means they eat vegetation. In the summer, they eat leaves and herbs. In the winter, they eat lichen and moss.
• Reindeer generally don't run very fast. In fact, a white-tailed deer could outrun a reindeer.
• Reindeer use their antlers like a shovel to break through the crust of snow to reach the vegetation underneath.

[source:http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/christmas-trivia4.htm]

the santa express

one of my favorite christmas traditions in chicago is when the L trains get decked out for the holidays.

The Chicago Transit Authority pulls out all the stops to spread Yuletide cheer and good will to its customers with CTA's Santa's Express Train!

The train -- a festive six-car model decked with ornaments, holiday music and Santa riding a sleigh aboard a flatcar -- operates around the outer Loop 'L' between 4:00 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. The impressive display is decorated by CTA's Rail Operations employees and has more than 30,000 lights.

CTA customers paying regular fares are welcome to ride on any of the six passenger cars on the train.

The CTA's Santa's Express Train pulls up to rail stations throughout the city on selected dates and times, with CTA employees on hand spreading holiday cheer by distributing candy to customers along the routes.

For over 20 years, the CTA also uses the train to distribute food baskets to needy families. CTA elves team up with Santa Claus to distribute more than 150 holiday meal boxes to needy families at three stations along the Blue Line: Division, 18th Street and UIC-Halsted.

[source: http://www.transitchicago.com/news/default.aspx?Archive=y&pg=93&ArticleId=1716 ©2009 Chicago Transit Authority]

top ten tuesday

here's a top ten from "the late show with david letterman". enjoy!

TOP TEN ELF COMPLAINTS

10. Bells on clothing target for jeers at truck stops
9. Need two pieces of I.D. to buy beer
8. Santa's union-busting goons killed a guy last spring
7. Black elves control the weight room
6. R&R weekends in Aleutians spoiled by trigger-happy shore patrol
5. Incredible markup at North Pole 7-11
4. Workmen's compensation doesn't cover "mistletoe-lung"
3. The Colonel practically runs my life (Sorry, that's a Elvis complaint)
2. Dead elves just tossed out on tundra
1. Santa only invites his favorites to join him in the Jacuzzi

decisions, decisions

there is a pretty good sale going on at a few stores and i found a few items that would make good christmas gifts. however, i cannot decide if it is too early to start my christmas shopping. usually i wait until july or even september to start and i am always finished by thanksgiving so i can enjoy the holidays. if i buy this early, will the gifts stay "nice and new" and in perfect condition until christmas?

halfway celebration

we are halfway to the christmas season! the season begins on november 13... i cannot believe how quickly the time passes.

trivia thursday

for "a charlie brown christmas", the actors (all children) learned their lines phonetically, often not knowing what they meant, which led to the now familiar peanuts delivery-style.

feeling zen'd out

last night i spent some time on my planners & idea books and they look fabulous. i need to take some photos and show them on my blog but until i get around to that, i am just taking a cue from zen santa here.

it's all coming together

this weekend i started my christmas planner only discover i am going to need 2 planners. the planner i made this weekend contains craft ideas, recipes, & fun articles and pictures. last night i went out to get supplies to make what i am calling my rudolph day planner, which will be holiday specific.

and i am going to have to separate out halloween, thanksgiving, and christmas in my planners. right now they are all just thrown in together which will make it difficult to find my halloween crafts, etc.

i need to get some scrapbook supplies so i can make some fun intro pages and covers for my books as well! fun.

scavenger hunt

last year i started collecting my nativity of choice, which was - of course - promptly discontinued by the manufacturer.

i have the holy family & the star + the creche. i would like the 3 wisemen this year. and hopefully i will be able to get animals, a shepherd, and an angel in the next couple of years thanks to eBay. here's hoping...

i found the wisemen on eBay this morning, new in box, for about a hundred dollars! time to save up.

starting a christmas notebook

today i am going out to get supplies to start a christmas notebook, and i am also going to get supplies to start filling in my christmas scrapbook (starting with christmas 2008).

i have a bunch of clippings from magazines, catalogs, etc that i will put in my notebook. i just want it to be a happy little book for me to put in christmas stuff - decor ideas, menu ideas, fun tidbits. i'm not sure what else i will put in it. does anyone have any ideas?

aloha friday

happy aloha friday, everyone!

in hawaii, friday is a day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. therefore, posting should be easy too, so i'll pose a simple question with a simple answer.

my question this week: do you prefer coca-cola or pepsi?

my answer this week: coca-cola all the way! it just tastes better. and in related christmas trivia, i always look forward to the coca-cola santas on cans and bottles around the holidays.

Most people can agree on what Santa Claus looks like -- jolly, with a red suit and a white beard. But he did not always look that way, and Coca-Cola® advertising actually helped shape this modern-day image of Santa.

2006 marked the 75th anniversary of the famous Coca-Cola Santa Claus. Starting in 1931, magazine ads for Coca-Cola featured St. Nick as a kind, jolly man in a red suit. Because magazines were so widely viewed, and because this image of Santa appeared for more than three decades, the image of Santa most people have today is largely based on our advertising. Before the 1931 introduction of the Coca-Cola Santa Claus created by artist Haddon Sundblom, the image of Santa ranged from big to small and fat to tall. Santa even appeared as an elf and looked a bit spooky.

[source: The Coca-Cola Company, all rights reserved. © 2008 http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/cokelore_santa.html]

trivia thursday

a Charlie Brown Christmas is the longest-running cartoon special in history, airing every year since its debut in 1965.

pies galore

So remember while December
Brings the only Christmas Day,
In the year let there be Christmas
In the things you do and say;
Wouldn't life be worth the living
Wouldn't dreams be coming true
If we kept the Christmas spirit
All the whole year through?

i cannot believe how quickly time passes. my husband and i were talking last night about strawberry picking in june. it's right around the corner. and we are thinking about where we might want to go in the fall for thanksgiving as we need to make reservations soon.

i am going to make 4 pie crusts for the freezer - i make 4 pies a year, each after we go to a farm and get fresh produce. strawberry pie in mid-june, blueberry pie in early august, apple pie in mid-october, and pumpkin pie just before thanksgiving. it's that time already to plan my baking! i will be trying a new gluten free pie crust recipe this year from pamela's recipes. i hope it turns out wonderfully.

top ten tuesday

Susan: I believe... I believe... Even though it's silly, I believe. ("Miracle on 34th Street")

it's top ten tuesday so i am going to list my top ten favorite christmas movies, in no particular order becuase i cannot play favorites. *wink*

• A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
  
• White Christmas (1954)
  
• Love Actually (2003)
  
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1970)
  
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
  
• It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
  
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
• Dr Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
• Holiday Inn (1942)

[source: "Miracle on 34th Street", 1947. 20th Century Fox]

dreambook

i started a new yoga class last night, and it was wonderful. my intention was to be present in my practice. being present has so much meaning for me - 1, it is a gift/present to be able to soak up and enjoy every second of every minute and 2, i want to be fully engaged in what i am doing.

the christmas season goes so quickly in november and december. it is a yearly gift that i celebrate with all year 'round.

planning ahead

haven't been feeling today, so i took some time to get caught up with my rudolph day assignments.

i reviewed the hallmark dreambook! i will post some of my favorites soon.

i also looked through some recipes because i need to bake an item once a month to try it out and see if it works before i try and make it at christmas. never again will i have a christmas like this past one (my first gluten free christmas). success will be had!

so for may rudolph day, i am going to do the following

• bake cranberry orange scones
• plan menus
• buy a few christmas gifts
• watch the movie "love actually"

aloha friday

happy aloha friday, everyone!

in hawaii, friday is a day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. therefore, posting should be easy too, so i'll pose a simple question with a simple answer.

my question this week: what is your favorite flower?

my answer this week: gardenia

in the beginning, there was charlie brown

Charlie Brown: I just don't understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I'm still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.

Linus Van Pelt: Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy's right. Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest.

Linus Van Pelt: And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.' That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

[source: Lee Mendelson (2005-09-27). A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition. Harper Paperbacks.]